---
title: "Redear Sunfish"
description: "Lepomis microlophus — Fish. The redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, stumpknocker, and sun perch, is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/redear-sunfish
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Redear Sunfish

> Lepomis microlophus — Fish. The redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, stumpknocker, and sun perch, is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States.

- Scientific name: *Lepomis microlophus*
- Category: `fish` (Fish)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lakes & rivers)
- iNaturalist observations: 5178
- Wikidata: [Q2741147](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2741147)
- iNaturalist taxon: [85127](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/85127)

## Names

- en: Redear Sunfish
- de: Rotohr-Sonnenbarsch
- es: Mojarra oreja roja
- fr: Crapet à oreilles rouges

## Countries with the most observations

US (4792)

## Summary

The redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, stumpknocker, and sun perch, is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States. Due to its popularity as a sport fish, it has been widely introduced across North America.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redear_sunfish

## Photo

![Redear Sunfish](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/redear-sunfish/medium.jpg)

Photo: Brighton Lee · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/279557490

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/redear-sunfish?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).